One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to gym equipment. More particularly, certain embodiments of the invention relate to an accessory bracket that may be used on various different sizes of gym rigging.
The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. Currently, there are three sizes of gym rigging commonly in use: 2×3 inch gym rigging, herein referred to as “2×3 rigging”, 3×3 inch rigging that is light weight, herein referred to as “light 3×3 rigging, and 3×3 inch heavy weight rigging, herein referred to as “heavy 3×3 rigging”. Some gyms may use 2×2 rigging; however, it is believed that most gyms are replacing 2×2 rigging with stouter rigging, as the larger rigging may be associated with modernity, greater strength and durability, and heavier weights. Users may attach various different types of weight lifting or fitness accessories to this gym rigging such as, but not limited to, self-massage attachments, Matador devices for performing dips, storage for weight plates, push up bars, pull up bars, J hooks that may be used to hold weight lifting bars, etc. Typically, these accessories may be attached to the rigging with brackets. Brackets may be permanently attached to accessories by a permanent means, such as welding. Brackets may also be attached to accessories by temporary or changeable means, such as attaching a receptacle to the face of the bracket and then fixing the distal end of the receptacle so that accessories can be temporarily attached to the receptacle. For instance, if a receptacle with a threaded end is attached to the face of a bracket, accessories may be screwed to the receptacle by means of that threaded distal end. As another example, if a bracket is fitted with slot in the face of the bracket, devices such as a hook may be slipped into the slot and such hook would be held in place by its design. The hook could be used to hang or attach accessories to weight lifting rigging, such as elastic tubing which is used to exercise and strengthen shoulders and arms. The hook could also be used to attach a stout elastic band which is often used by physical therapist and weight lifting athletes to exercise the hips and legs. Such elastic bands are presently looped around gym rigging in a big, loose knot, but doing so takes up time and uses up a substantial length of the elastic band. With a hook, the bands would be simply slipped over the hook with little or no loss of length. The bracket with the hook fitted to it could be raised and lowered quickly and strongly to allow the elastic bands to be positioned at any height. The bracket could be designed to allow the attachment of small hooks for light weight bands to large hooks for very strong elastic bands. Gym rigging may be perforated with a number of holes that may be used for attaching accessory brackets. These holes are often as close to each other as one inch to allow for a great deal of adjustability in the height of accessories which may be mounted to the gym rigging. The diameter of the perforations are sized so that a quick detach pin can go through the perforations and through corresponding holes in the bracket to secure the bracket, and any attached accessory, to the rigging.
By way of educational background, an aspect of the related technology generally useful to be aware of is that accessory brackets are generally made to attach to a specific size of rigging and typically cannot be used interchangeably between rigging of different sizes. For example, without limitation, an ordinary accessory bracket made for 2×3 rigging typically cannot fit 3×3 rigging because the holes drilled in the side flanges of the 2×3 accessory bracket may not match up to the perforations in the 3×3 bar. Thus, one may expect that if a user owns rigging in different sizes, the user may need to purchase a separate set of accessories for each size of rigging. In addition, current brackets are typically designed to hold accessories on the gym rigging in a way that resists only downward forces, so that when upward forces are applied to the typical bracket, the bracket and the accessory are tilted upward. Moreover, it is believed that there is little uniformity in the design, size, and shape of brackets on the market today. This lack of uniformity may result in there being many different methods and systems for mounting the accessories to the gym rigging, which may create clutter in the gym and added costs.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.